


Repetitive Eternity (ON HOLD)

by Red (Red_Balloons)



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), DCU, Gotham (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future (of a sorts), Alternate Universe - Time Travel (of a sorts)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 06:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13048395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Balloons/pseuds/Red
Summary: "Aeternitas — The Roman Goddess of Eternity."She breathed in and shook her head twice. He tilted his own at her reaction and smiled, slow and oily. Because sheunderstoodwhat that meant. For her and forhim, thegoodspeedster the both of them knew quite well.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue is the shortest chapter of the whole book. Do not judge just on what you see from this part - it is misleading.
> 
> Tagging will be updated as I post because I don't want to spoil things early, even with the heavier things that I _should_ warn about before people get invested in the story. But, in chapter one, there is a section that kind of does that for me. (Though I won't be updating such tags until they _actually show up_ in the book.)
> 
> The character list is rather long, so I decided not to put them until the ending. Might take a while before I get readers that way, but I can handle that. I just want to be _sure_ that I have who I say I do in this book before putting up the tags for them.
> 
> On the topic of tagging - this is completely AU. As such, I will have the relevant tagging placed already because those involve the whole book and not just certain chapters or sections within them. (Gotham is in the fandom tagging for this very reason, I guess. But having it there doesn't provide much for spoilers, which is why I am not keeping it a secret until later in the story.)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything DC related. Unless you count merch - then I own a lot of DC related things...
> 
> Additional Note: As of posting this chapter, (12/17/17), and when I first began writing, (3/26/17), I have no beta. There will most definitely be some sort of mistake throughout the book, so I apologize if they make reading hard. If you do find an error while reading, mention the chapter and what paragraph you found it in. (Single lines still count as a paragraph, I guess.)

_"Let me tell you a story, then, if you're going to be this difficult. You listen and **then** tell me if I'm ignorant of how the world works." Celestyn slowly unclenched her jaw as she stared at the man who was sneering at her  — she felt offended because she'd gone through  **too much** to be swept aside like this. "You going to do that without interrupting me?"_

_ "Depends on if this story will end up being  **good** or not," he spits back. His eyes were twin pools of fire, full of anger — like he couldn't believe someone  **so much** younger knew as much as he did. "So, what is this story about?" _

_ "Time." _

_ " **Creative.** " _

_ Celestyn smiled — it moved slow and was bland in nature. "You won't be thinking that once I'm done, my exorbitant concomitant. Time is a lot more convoluted than you can ever understand — I, myself, someone who has  **lived within Time itself** , don't completely understand it." _

_ "Just start, Celestyn. This is starting to  **waste** my time." _

_ She rolled her eyes but withheld the snort that wanted to happen at the dreadfully timed and forced pun. "It starts with a man with an obsession of a hero long dead..." _


	2. One

He didn’t entirely know what started it. Started the obsession that took him down paths he hadn’t been aware even existed. History was an enjoyable passion that he hadn’t thought to take up until he’d followed every other he could to its end — until he realized he held no genuine interest in the fields offered. But then he stumbled upon a book about historical anomalies that changed the world, for the better _and_ the worst.

It had been interesting, realizing that after trying his hand in biophysics and psychology, and the many other fields of science he had looked into, it was _history_ that had his attention. It wasn’t like he didn’t like that sudden bit of information. No, _not at all_. He loved that he had finally found something that kept his attention, kept him busy. Because there is always going to be someone trying to change history — or _how_ history is perceived. There will always be someone trying to force the _fact_ that only their side of history was the whole part of it — that _no, sir, there isn’t a second source to back this up because this is the **only** source during this time to be found._

Eobard guessed he found it a better use of his time, ruining the life’s work of others when he felt that such  _life’s work_ was based on lies. It soothed something deep within him when he picked something up and worked at it, pulling at the lines around it until everything unraveled — until he was proven correct in believing everything written about such events in history was _wrong_ _._ Or wrongfully portrayed. There was nothing like correcting the mistakes done to history and learning _what had been changed about it_ _._ The people who had been brushed under the rug for one inane reason or another — or the motives behind advancements in one field or another being because of awful reasons not reaching the light of day.

Eobard  _lived_ for this.

He knew that now.

"That smile is rather disturbing, Professor."

Glancing up from where he’d been reading over the latest article about his findings over the Hero Age, Eobard smiled at the student standing in his office doorway, making sure to soften the action as he did. “Sorry, Miss Queen. I was just reading the article about my finding on the Hero Age and the reception it has been getting the last few days.”

Maya Queen, part of the eleventh generation since the beginning of the Hero Age of Queens, gave her professor an understanding nod. “To find my ancestor so disgraced by history is appalling. I came to thank you personally, since I was busy and out of technological reach and only just found out about what you did when I landed. And to also give you this,” she lifted a small book, the covers showing obvious age. “I don’t think it is exactly what you wanted, but it might give a clue to where you should go _next_ for _that_ one. And to find further clues to any lies in our history that you might uncover.”

Taking the book the young woman held out to him, Eobard glanced over the more delicate details as he pulled it closer. “How _was_ traveling the ruins of a lost age? As fulfilling as you thought it would be?” He set the book carefully down upon his desk, atop a stack of essays he would need to grade over the weekend, to look over the undergrad.

She looked worn but accomplished. Proud of her find — though she wasn’t showing it fully in fear that it wouldn’t turn out to _be_ anything. Her skin was pale from the months without proper sunlight in the Lost Country; a few scars were hidden by such paleness that suggested her travels were successful in other means that just her finding the book he’d talked about in his lectures as a myth he’d like to get his hands on. Eobard might not have known Maya’s battle-worn ancestors, but he suspected they would have been proud of her to have survived such a horrible place as the Lost Country. And to have found a supposedly mythical book on _them_ , themselves — their written lives will change. Their legacies better known and fixed from the inadequate workings of Eobard’s supposed _peers_.

“You should be proud of having found this book. While it might not be what I’m looking for, as a possibility, it _is_ a great find nonetheless. You found a mythical book about the Hero Age, and that’s a step further than any of my colleagues have ever gotten. Seems like you’ll be learning more about your family in the upcoming months,” he said with another glance at the book and a sharper grin. He so did love ruffling a few feathers in the scholar community. “Everyone will, apparently. Thank you for this, Maya. Go celebrate with a proper shower and visiting with your friends — I believe they would have missed you while you have been off gallivanting in your studying abroad in a dangerous land.”

Maya laughed and brightened considerably. With a nod at the professor, she left him alone in his office with the once lost book to go relax and slip back into feeling human.

Eobard rocked his weight backward calmly once his office door shut. His eyes danced towards his computer screen when it finally went dark, the article he was reading finally hiding the sharp words from Eobard’s sight. A gentle smirk found itself on his face as he turned towards his chair to settle down in it comfortably. He took a moment to relax, letting his thoughts take whatever direction they wished without outside interference from himself. That was usually how he managed his most significant breakthroughs on the more robust projects he took on, though Eobard was still hesitant to admit that the Hero Age was one of such _tough projects_. Especially since that’s the part of history that kept people going all around the world — Eobard might love ruining the lives of _liars,_ but he felt terrible when the public themselves got swept up in it as he had done upon attacking his fellow historians for voluntarily lying about the well-loved era.

Opening his eyes — and silently questioning when he closed them — Eobard pulled his attention out of its contemplative state and onto the worn book sitting innocuously on his desk. He scoffed. _Innocent_. That book was almost anything _but_.

And that was a dangerous thought, being as it was part of a forgotten piece of history. What if, during the Hero Age, so much about the _heroes themselves_ had been omitted that coincided with the elements of science and medicine and weaponry that they don’t get currently? That didn’t sit right with Eobard just as much as it intrigued him because _what if._

Reaching forward and picking up the small book, Eobard gently ran his left hand over the faded cover. There didn’t seem to have been a specific design at any point in its lifetime — just the deep, burnt yellow that suddenly made bile rise up in Eobard’s throat inlaid with faint white lines that could have been the title a long time ago. Taking in a deep breath and questioning once again if he really wanted to keep following this line, he opened the front cover and finally saw the title in its full glory. It was one word. Latin. _Eternity,_ it meant — some documents suggested it was the name of two significant figures throughout history. One is a goddess, the other an unknown figure.

Eobard squinted at the title and almost — _almost_ — let his temper rise. Because the title suggested this book was about the _goddess_. Not about the Hero Age or those that had lived during it. But then Eobard set the book down in his lap and leaned forwards, waking his computer screen up and pulling up a few internet tab and searching _Hero Age_ and _Aeternitas_. Because even though they _lied_ , it seemed there was a possibility of them having got _something_ right. And Eobard couldn’t help the surprised laughter, hysterical in tone almost, that fell from him as he read the debunked books that spoke of the _Lost Hero_ , Aeternitas. He only sobered when he finished, each book being rather short and repetitive in what information they gave the reader. But they confirmed that _maybe_ this book was what Eobard needed to continue down the right path to fix his wrong.

So he leaned back once more and flipped to the next page — the intro, a small summary of what was to be read and a...  _warning?_

"Interesting..." Eobard couldn't wait to start in on this book and the secrets that might be hidden within it.

 

—  _Aeternitas_ —

> _"Aeternitas is a hero. Short, sweet - simple. She is a woman of unknown meta-abilities that helps out other, well-known heroes of the world. But as it has slowly been becoming the trend for such heroes in current day, they have been showing the world their ‘civilian’ personas - as the heroes themselves have taken to calling their lives without their masks. Aeternitas isn’t exempt from this trend._
> 
> _She isn’t and this is the book that compiles her life’s story, as the public is able to see it by looking into her name, from civilian life to her hero one._
> 
> _(A companion book, detailing what little is known about Aeternitas’ life that can’t be found out through simple Googling or asking around, is being written by Aeternitas herself in hopes to explain a few things that may be confusing within the history here. The title hasn’t been confirmed, but it is a companion book nonetheless and will be referenced if too little details are known or something is confusing/doesn’t add up.)_
> 
> _And, as goes my fashion of writing, here comes the less fun part to writing: the warnings that means reading may lead to more damage than if you didn’t read. Trigger warnings - disturbing content - whatever you want to call it. There’s a lot so I’ll keep them simple and stick to the worst ones: There’s a lot of mentions of government conspiracies (theories and proof), pictures of Aeternitas’ scarred body (that she submitted to me herself), a long list of deaths (directly, indirectly, and not done at all by Aeternitas’ hand), and experimentation (theories and proof). On top of this list, I believe I should add that the proof may be pictures of rather disturbing content that should be taken seriously. As not all government conspiracies are about aliens and not all experimentations end with physical deformities.”_

—  _Aeternitas_ —

 

"Professor?"

Eobard paused in pulling his jacket on and turned to his doorway. "Ah, Maya — what can I do for you?"

Maya tilted her head and stayed silent for a few moments. Eobard suspected he looked a bit off — he  _felt_ off. With a small nod, he turned back to getting ready to leave, letting Maya have her silence for a bit longer as he needed it himself. As Maya watched him, he packed his bag carefully — the stack of papers he will be grading throughout the weekend and a few books he'd promised to read over and translate. His hand hovered over the book Maya had brought him earlier in the day before picking it up and placing it within his bag as well, taking care to make sure it was in a spot where it would stay on top and not get squished in any fashion.

"You read the book."

"A small bit, yes. Did you?"

"Just the introduction. While I might be able to handle my own blood and wounds, I wouldn't be able to handle others." Maya was in the middle of shaking her head when Eobard turned around to face her. "Did you read beyond the introduction?"

"I have." Eobard lifted his bag strap up and over his head, "And I'm rather glad you hadn't. The history of Aeternitas' parents, which is where the author started, isn't a loving one." He fiddled with his bag, so it wasn't pressing uncomfortably against his stomach and was rather hanging limply by his hip. He mentioned this because of how similar Aeternitas' life was to Maya's. It was a soft spot for the student. "There is another book, written by C. Morgan, that goes with this one. I'd like you to send out a notice to the others about it to see if they can pick up any hints to the whereabouts of it. And, Maya, I'd like you to wait two months before going out to join in the search. Recover and relax a bit, please?"

Maya sighed before nodding. "Will you go out and join the others?"

"I might, if they haven't found it by summertime."

"Four months then — guess you'll have to take your time with the book you  _do_ have."

Eobard grinned blandly at Maya's teasing tone. "Guess I will have to, yes."

 

— _Aeternitas_  —

> _**Beginning One** _
> 
> _"It's hard to think of heroes as anything more than their masks - their secondary titles. But every hero has a beginning, well they techinically have two: when they were born, and when they took up the mask._
> 
> _This in the first beginning - The Time Aeternitas was born._
> 
> _She was born to an unmarried couple, Joseph Morgan and Hannah Tennet._
> 
> _Joseph Morgan is a relatively boring man in comparison to Aeternitas and her mother. He grew up as a farmer but left his family farm to go to university on business management. After university, he stayed in the city for three years - during such time, it is believed that Joseph met Hanna Tennet because about three months into the fourth year, he is getting arrested under the belief he was involved with a crime Miss Tennet had been in the middle of for several years prior to Mister Morgan getting to being his college education._
> 
> _This was the only prior on Joseph's public record. There might have been more, but as the intro said, this is only a compilation of what can be found out by_ anyone _in the general public._
> 
> _Miss Tennet, on the other had, had multiple public priors on her record - assault, attempted assault with a weapon, breaking and entering, possession of illegally obtained weapons, possession of illegal substances - the list is rather long. It also makes me, as a writer and one who has to think about what I read_ myself _is actually true, wonder if Aeternitas' motives for being a hero stems from not wanting to be like her estranged and absent mother. Because, as public records go, I was able to find that Hanna Tennet gave up our good hero from adoption before Joseph found her and, after taking a required blood test to prove he was in fact her biological father, took her home to raise._
> 
> _From there, till she was off to college, Aeternitas was with her father under the name Celestyn Morgan._
> 
> _**And thus concludes her** _ **first _beginning._**

—  _Aeternitas_ —

 

Minimalistic was how Eobard lived. To an extent. What little Eobard did own was expensive and durable — each individual piece having already lasted him seven years, at the  _longest_. Eobard sighed hollowly as he sat down on his six-year-old couch, sinking down into its comfortable depths with ease as he let his legs rest. Because  _dammit_ , the elevator was still out in the building and Eobard just  _had to_ live almost thirty floors above the lobby. Blinking slowly, Eobard shifted on the couch before turning to where he'd let his bed drop beside him. Flipping the bag's flap open, he considered what he should pull out first.

The essays were critical and needed to be graded soon.

And the deadline on the books he'd promised to translate was coming up fast.

"Sir?"

Eobard blinked his surprise. "Yes, Gideon?"

"Your stress levels seem to be rising. Is there anything wrong?"

With an amused snort, Eobard answered, "Not particularly. I just had a lot of things to do soon. Think you can help me?"

"I will do my best, Sir." A form blinked into existence, almost nearly opaque. Gideon moved closer to the coffee table standing in front of where Eobard sat. She settled into a kneeling position and waited for Eobard to hand over what she was to help him with, not questioning him when he passed over a book. "This is one of the five books you promised to try and translate for Miss West, yes?"

"You would be correct, Gideon. You already have my notes on lost or dead languages; I would like you to see if it is written in one of them. If it isn't, set it off to the side for me to tackle later; if it is, then please translate it." Eobard glanced at the physical picture of the home unit he'd taken from one of his peers to look over and had managed to start back up. There was a long story about why Eobard still had her instead of having given her back to the college — or the board of engineers to look over to make more. It generally involved with a week-long lock-down done by such a home unit. Eobard blinked before nodding, having just barely caught Gideon's affirmative response. Eobard leaned back again, turning his attention to the papers he would be grading for the next seven or so hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gideon was a surprise, but I'm going with it.
> 
> Next chapter might take some time to come out since I've been preparing for exams - and will be taking them tomorrow. I also have to volunteer tomorrow, so I won't be able to work on Chapter Two right after I get out. I will try my best to get up before two months pass, but as everyone has seen from the beginning notes in the last chapter, I don't exactly stick to a tight schedule when writing. (Hence the 6+ months since I first started this idea.)
> 
> Along those lines, I have no schedule for posting. I tend to post after I do some basic editing when the chapter is finished...


End file.
